Anti-splash shoe with flexible water absorbing structure

ABSTRACT

An anti-splash shoe includes a sole and a vamp. The vamp is connected to the sole and disposed on the sole. The sole has a flexible water absorbing structure, which supports a user&#39;s weight, contacts with water on a ground, and absorbs water on an outer surface of the sole to stop the water from flashing toward the vamp when the sole is lifted up and away from the ground.

This application claims priority of No. 103123262 filed in Taiwan R.O.C. on Jul. 7, 2014 under 35 USC 119, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an anti-splash shoe, and more particularly to an anti-splash shoe having a flexible water absorbing structure to prevent the water from splashing toward the vamp.

2. Related Art

When the user wears shoes and walks or runs in a rainy day or on a wet ground, the shoes are usually getting wetter and wetter and the user has the poor feeling.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional shoe 100 walking on a wet ground G to cause water splashing. As shown in FIG. 1, the water W is present on the ground G and is lifted up by the sole 110 of the shoe 100. An adhesive force FA, a horizontal centrifugal force FH and a vertical centrifugal force FV are present between the water W and the sole 110. Under the action of the three forces, the generated water drops D1 splash toward the top of the vamp 160 and finally fall on the vamp 160 to wet the vamp 160, and the water drops D2 splash frontwards without wetting the vamp 160.

At present, the leather shoes, sports shoes, casual shoes or the like manufactured by the shoe manufacturers are mainly designed according to the consideration of permeability rather than the problem of wetting the vamp when the user wearing the shoes walks in a rainy day or on a wet ground. Although the waterproof material of the vamp can be improved, this further affects the permeability. So, the satisfactory shoe product cannot be manufactured under the dual considerations of possessing the permeability and preventing the splash wetting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an anti-splash shoe having a flexible water absorbing structure for effectively absorbing water drops on the sole to prevent the vamp from been wetted.

To achieve the above-identified object, the present invention provides an anti-splash shoe including a sole and a vamp. The vamp is connected to the sole and disposed on the sole. The sole has a flexible water absorbing structure, which supports a user's weight, contacts with water on a ground, and absorbs the water on an outer surface of the sole to stop the water from flashing toward the vamp when the sole is lifted up and away from the ground.

The above-mentioned anti-splash shoe utilizes the flexible water absorbing structure of the sole to absorb the water when the shoe is separated from the ground or the floor to stop the water from splashing out and to stop the water from splashing and wetting the vamp, or even the socks, pants and the like. When the shoe falls on the ground, the user's weight can discharge the water from the sole.

Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional shoe walking on a wet ground to cause water splashing.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an anti-splash shoe according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing an anti-splash shoe according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing an anti-splash shoe according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged partial cross-sectional views showing two states of the anti-splash shoe according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same references relate to the same elements.

The anti-splash shoe of the embodiment of the present invention is an improvement for the texture structure of the sole, and the idea is made based on the movement mode of the water drops observed when the user walks in a rainy day in conjunction with the mechanical analysis. An adhesive force and a centrifugal force are present between the water drop and the moving sole, wherein the centrifugal force is decomposed into vertical and horizontal components. The vertical component of the centrifugal force tends to lift up the water drop toward the top of the vamp and thus wet the vamp.

Therefore, if the water, lifted up by the sole, can be tightly absorbed into the sole, it is possible to prevent the water drop from splashing. In the embodiment of the invention, the sole is formed with a flexible water absorbing structure. When the shoe is separated from the ground or the floor, the flexible water absorbing structure absorbs the water to stop the water from splashing out. When the shoe falls on the ground, the user's weight can discharge the water from the sole.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing an anti-splash shoe 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, this embodiment provides the anti-splash shoe 1 including a sole 10 and a vamp 60. The sole 10 is a portion in contact with a ground G, and the vamp 60 is a portion covering the user's foot. The vamp 60 is connected to the sole 10 and disposed on the sole 10 in view of a normally used state.

The sole 10 has a flexible water absorbing structure 20 for supporting a user's weight WT, contacting with the water W on the ground G, and absorbs the water W on an outer surface 12 of the sole 10 when the sole 10 is lifted up and away from the ground to stop the water from flashing toward the vamp 60.

In this embodiment, the flexible water absorbing structure 20 is a collodion body, which hardens when dried to provide the user the walking function on the dry ground. The collodion body gradually absorbs the water and softens but still can provide the user the walking function on the dry ground. In one example, the thickness/height of the collodion body ranges from about 2 to 6 mm. In another example, the thickness/height of the collodion body ranges from about 3 to 5 mm. In still another example, the thickness/height of the collodion body ranges from about 3.5 to 4.5 mm. In yet still another example, the thickness/height of the collodion body is about 3.9 mm.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing an anti-splash shoe according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the flexible water absorbing structure 20 of the anti-splash shoe 1 of this embodiment includes a base 21, an outer coating layer 22 and a sponge body 23. The outer coating layer 22 is to be in direct contact with the water W on the ground G. The sponge body 23 is disposed in a chamber 27 formed by the base 21 and the outer coating layer 22. The outer coating layer 22 has water absorbing holes 24 communicating with pores 25 of the sponge body 23. In this embodiment, the aperture of the water absorbing hole 24 ranges between 2 mm and 4 mm, preferably ranges between 2.5 and 3.5 mm, and is more preferably about 3 mm. The distribution density of the water absorbing holes 24 ranges from about 0.8 to 0.4 (holes/cm²), preferably ranges from 0.7 to 0.5 (holes/cm²), and more preferably ranges from 0.65 to 0.55 (holes/cm²), and is more preferably equal to about 0.57 (holes/cm²).

It is to be noted that the flexible water absorbing structure 20 may further comprise a chamber layer 26. The chamber layer 26 is connected to the base 21 and the outer coating layer 22. The sponge body 23 is disposed in the chamber 27 formed by the base 21, the chamber layer 26 and the outer coating layer 22. Consequently, the chamber 27 can be partitioned into multiple chambers 27 to be managed such that the failed function of a certain chamber 27 cannot affect the water absorbing and anti-splashing function of other chambers.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing an anti-splash shoe according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5 and 6 are enlarged partial cross-sectional views showing two states of the anti-splash shoe according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 4 to 6, the flexible water absorbing structure 20 of this embodiment includes multiple channels 28 and multiple water absorbing chambers 29 communicating with the channels 28, respectively, wherein the channels 28 and the water absorbing chambers 29 are deformable to absorb and discharge water. The channels 28 and the water absorbing chambers 29 of the flexible water absorbing structure 20 are formed in the base 21, and the base 21 is resiliently deformable. In FIG. 5, the base 21 is pressed by the weight WT to discharge the water W from the water absorbing chamber 29 to the location between the ground G and the outer surface 12 through the channels 28. In FIG. 6, the user lifts up the shoe, and the base 21 is no longer pressed and does not deform, so that the water absorbing chamber 29 and the channel 28 are enlarged to absorb the water therein. Thus, the flexible water absorbing structure 20 absorbs the water on the outer surface 12 of the sole 10 when the sole 10 leaves the water, so that no continuous water film is present on the outer surface 12 of the sole 10 (the water films between the two water absorbing chambers 29 of FIG. 6 have been separated). Consequently, the decentralized water absorbed in the channel 28 and the water absorbing chamber 29 cannot flash frontwards or backwards toward the vamp along the outer surface 12.

In FIG. 4, the water absorbing chambers 29 include multiple spherical chambers 29C and multiple elliptical chambers 29E. In another example, each water absorbing chamber 29 is an elliptical chamber 29E. In still another example, each water absorbing chamber 29 is a spherical chamber 29C. In view of the design of the elliptical chamber 29E, a bottom surface area of an ordinary sole is equal to about 20,000 mm², and the thickness of the water film is assumed to be 2 mm, then the volume of the water film is equal to 40,000 mm³. The volume of one elliptical chamber 29E is equal to 4πabc/3, where the designed data includes a=15 mm, b=15 mm and c=3 mm. If only ⅔ of the volume of the elliptical chamber 29E absorbs the water, then the total volume of the absorbed water is equal to 600π. If ¾ of the total volume of the water film is absorbed by the elliptical chamber 29E, the splashing toward the vamp can be stopped. According to the above-mentioned condition, then the number of the elliptical chambers 29E can be calculated as greater than or equal to (40000*¾)/(600π)≈16. However, the above-mentioned calculation is only one example, and does not intend to restrict the present invention thereto. In still another example, the arrangement density of the elliptical chambers 29E in the middle portion is lower than that in the front and rear portions, and the arrangement density of the elliptical chambers 29E in the front portion is further higher than that in the rear portion. For an ordinary person, the pressure of the foot is concentrated on the front and rear portions because the middle of the foot has an arch. When the user walks frontwards to lift up the sole, the pressure is concentrated on the front portion of the front foot. Consequently, the chambers on the front portion are pressed more completely so that the better water absorbing effect can be obtained.

It is to be noted that the outer surface 12 may also be formed with other texture structures to increase the friction or provide the water drainage function. The water absorbing chamber 29 and the channel 28 may be formed on the ridge and/or valley of the texture structure to provide the water absorbing and locking functions to prevent the splashing.

In order to prove the effect of the stepped stopping structure, experiments and measurements have been made. For the measurement, a sponge body 300 (see FIG. 2) is adhered onto the vamp, and the user wears the shoe and walks on the wet ground in the same mode. Finally, the increased weight of the sponge body 300 is measured, and the measured results are listed in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, the sponge body in the prior art is wetter than that of the second embodiment, and this represents that the sponge body in the prior art absorbs more water. What is listed in Table 1 is that the present invention can be utilized to effectively stop the water from splashing and wetting the vamp.

TABLE 1 Prior art Second embodiment (11 sets of data) (10 sets of data) Average increased 0.0084 0.0015 weight (g) Standard deviation 0.0676 0.0217

The above-mentioned anti-splash shoe according to the embodiment of the invention utilizes the flexible water absorbing structure of the sole to absorb the water when the shoe is separated from the ground or the floor to stop the water from splashing out and to stop the water from splashing and wetting the vamp, or even the socks, pants and the like. When the shoe falls on the ground, the user's weight can discharge the water from the sole.

While the present invention has been described by way of examples and in terms of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An anti-splash shoe, comprising: a sole; and a vamp, which is connected to the sole and disposed on the sole, wherein the sole has a flexible water absorbing structure, which supports a user's weight, contacts with water on a ground, and absorbs the water on an outer surface of the sole to stop the water from flashing toward the vamp when the sole is lifted up and away from the ground.
 2. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 1, wherein the flexible water absorbing structure is a collodion body.
 3. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 1, wherein the flexible water absorbing structure comprises: a base; an outer coating layer in direct contact with the water on the ground; and a sponge body disposed in a chamber formed between the base and the outer coating layer, wherein the outer coating layer has water absorbing holes communicating with pores of the sponge body.
 4. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 3, wherein an aperture of the water absorbing hole ranges between 2 mm and 4 mm.
 5. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 1, wherein the flexible water absorbing structure comprises: a base; a chamber layer connected to the base; an outer coating layer connected to the chamber layer; and a sponge body disposed in a chamber formed by the base, the chamber layer and the outer coating layer, wherein the outer coating layer is for in direct contact with the water on the ground, the outer coating layer has water absorbing holes communicating with pores of the sponge body.
 6. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 1, wherein the flexible water absorbing structure comprises multiple channels and multiple water absorbing chambers communicating with the channels, respectively, wherein the channels and the water absorbing chambers are deformable to absorb and discharge water.
 7. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 1, wherein each of the water absorbing chambers is an elliptical chamber.
 8. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 1, wherein each of the water absorbing chambers is a spherical chamber.
 9. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 1, wherein the water absorbing chambers comprise multiple spherical chambers and multiple elliptical chambers.
 10. The anti-splash shoe according to claim 1, wherein the flexible water absorbing structure absorbs the water on the outer surface of the sole when the sole leaves the water so that no continuous water film is present over the outer surface of the sole. 